192 BAXTER'S DYING THOTJGHTS. never well understood what Christianity is, nor ever received it by a true belief. But all that understandingly and seriously believe in Jesus Christ are sanctified by his Spirit. 2. And this is a greater work than miracles, in excellency and difficulty. (1.) It is the very health of the souls. It is salvation itself: it maketh man, in his measure, like to God, and is his image. It is a heavenly nature, and is the earnest and preparation for heaven. It delivereth man from the greatest evil on earth, and giveth him the firmest peace and joy, in his peace with God, the pardon of his sins, and the hope of everlasting glory. (2.) It is easy to discern how great a work this is, by the deep roots of all the contrary vices in the corrupted nature of man. Experience assureth us that man, by vitiated nature, is proud and ignorant, and savoreth little but the things of the flesh, and worldly interest, and is a slave to appetite and lust: his bodily prosperity is all that really bath his heart. Yea, if God restrain them not, all wicked men are bitter enemies to all that are truly wise and holy, even among heathens and infidels : if any be but better than the rest, thewicked are their deadly enemies. There is so visible an enmity between godliness and wickedness, the seed of Christ, and of the serpent in the world, as is a great confirmation of the Scripture which describeth it. And it is not the name of Chris- tians that altered' men's nature. We, here, that have peace from all the world, are under such implacable hatred of wicked men, that call themselves Christians, that so many bears or wolves would be less hurtful to us. (3.) And the universalspreading of this wickedness over all the earth, in all ages and nations, doth tell us how great a work it is to cure it. (4.) And so loth the frustration of all other means, till the Spirit of God do it by setting home the gospel upon the heart. Children will grow up in wickedness, against ál1 the counsel, love, and correction of their parents. No words, no reason, will pre- vail with them, more than with drunken men or beasts. (5.) We find it a very hard thing to cure a man of some one rooted sin, much more of all. (6.) The common miseryof the world proclaimed man's vice, and the difficulty of the cure. How else comes the world to live in self-seeking falsehood, fraud, malice, and in bloody wars, worse thanwolves and serpents against each other? (7.) Lastly, whereGod cureth this by trim believing, it is done with the pangs of sharp repentance, and a great conflict, before God's Spirit overcometh. 3. It is evident, then, that this sanctificationof souls is an emi-
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